Muffet had left for what was only intended to be minutes. She wasn't entirely familiar with humans, and their associated medical needs. But she hoped some of the medicine that had been horded by her neighbor would be helpful. Even if it felt like pulling teeth, to get it.
When she returned, however, the girl wasn't present. There was no note, no indication as to why, or where she might have gone. The spider-woman contemplating for a moment. There were...limited areas, Chara could have gone, especially being stalked by the Non-Human.
That thought, however, combined with a nagging feeling of growing dread, inspired her to gather her things. Cloak, swords, and the magical tea-pot. Taking a second to grab some items that would assist in healing. It was always best to be cautious, after all.
And, with those, departed the house. Finding Heatdrake standing outside. With a semi-anxious look on the bird-monsters face. It seemed she wasn't alone in this strange looming sense of things.
Wordlessly, she nodded, and the duo headed off.
Elsewhere, there was a rush of movement.
The hard plastic axe swinging with an alarming speed. Forcing Chara to snap back. The end of the plastic, sharp as a knife, sliced across her cheek, despite the attempt.
Yet, this wasn't where the attack ended. The series of hacks, and wide swings came with an unnatural alacrity. Despite her efforts, she kept being nicked by them, no matter how quickly she moved. An overhead swing coming down at her, the girl diving. With a roll, she put some distance between her attacker, and herself. Eyes turning, only to find the axe being swung near her.
Chara decided to defend.
Chara cast |Puzzle Cube|
The space below the non-human shined, the same color as the thin hue of light enveloping the girl. The creature unaware, wearing that sadistic smile of confidence. Steam rolled from the girls eyes. The axe nearing, interrupted by the burst of magic. The force of it knocked the woman into the air, clearly surprised by the spell.
Chara decided to Fight
The Puzzle cube lurched to the side, clearly intending to smash down on the interloping attacker. Yet the woman seemed unphased, landing, as it began to try and stomp down on her. The axe shining, cleaving through the cube, shattering it in a single hit. While this happened, something approached.
Whisper commented. "Batter up!"
The baseball bat cracked against the non-human. The force sending her reeling back, staggering. Head twisted around, from the impact. The initial satisfaction from the hit fading, as the girl watched what happened in response.
The non-human stopped moving for a moment. The bones in her neck beginning to crack, producing a sickening set of sounds. Her head slowly twisted back to normal. The jaw, dislocated gripped, and slotted back in. The Non-Human snickering a little.
"I sometimes forget you can be clever." The Non-Human remarked. "It's so much fun to play with you. Even after all this time."
The woman rushed out, the axe swinging down. The girl dodging to the side, as it cracked part of the stone. A smirk, in the non-humans eye seeing it retract. A series of rapid slams beginning. The girl struggling to keep up, as she was nicked once more. The axe, slicing across her arm. Leaving more blood, splashed to the floor.
The girl briefly examined her spells. Hoping for something that might assist. After all. If she got a spell from the Elder Puzzler, then perhaps she'd gotten another. Briefly spotting the name, she vanished the menu. Worried about her opponent having seen it. She didn't know what it did, and was hesitant to use it so quickly. Would she even have to?
Chara decided to fight.
The girl rushed out, giving a wide swing of the bat. It got near to the Non-Human, before the woman simply stepped back at the last second. Leaving it to be a complete miss.
"This feels like old times." The Non-Human smiled fondly. "Me, trying to help you...you trying to stop me." Her eyes, and smile growing wider, in grim fashion for a moment. "But I don't have time for nostalgia."
With a wicked laugh, the creature swung the axe around, giving a slam down. The girl easily dodging this hit. However, another jolt of motion saw the woman slash out at her, in the process. The overhead slam, having been nothing but a ruse, stopped at the last moment. The girl however, was ill prepared for the hit.
The weapon struck with tremendous force. Cleaving through the poncho, and across her neck. The girl stepping back, gasping, as blood began to pour from the wound. Even as the magic fabric was mending.
The Non-Human remarked. "You know, that...that was always my favorite expression of yours." The girl growled, struggling to stand, her HP plummeting. "Defiance."
The woman gave a disturbed laugh, as Chara held the wound with one hand. Unable to remain standing, as the bat slipped from her hand. Her HP reaching zero.
It had only taken a single shot, and Chara collapsed to the ground. Soul shaking, set to shatter under normal circumstances. The Non-Human was intent to watch it play out.
The whole experience had been such a disappointment to her. However, the woman simply couldn't fathom that her actions were the source of things going awry. No, in her mind, it was the fault of the girl dying in front of her. That she was 'imperfect.'
A rock smacked her in the back of the head, snapping her from her thoughts. It hurt, if only a little bit. Turning, the non-humans eyes fell upon the face of Aliza, some distance away. The girl was once more on her feet, seeming to have been healed, by her own breaking 'heart.'
"Really?" The Non-Human asked. "Aliza, sweetheart...what did you think that was going to accomplish?"
Aliza decided to Talk.
"S-stop." Aliza ordered. "P-please."
"Or what?" The Non-Human asked, getting closer. "Are you going to try and kill me too?" She seemed amused. "I think we both know, you're nowhere brave enough to try."
Aliza decided to talk.
"I-I'll..uh." The girl didn't really know what to say. "Y-you don't...have to...do this."
"Poor thing. You really don't understand anything." The Non-Human sighed.
The woman continued her victorious little strut. Stopping near enough to make the girl quiver. She had hoped that Aliza would be something worth her time. And yet, it turned out, she was just another fluke, born of the Doctors sheer incapability to keep things on track. Something she could correct 'next time.'
It wouldn't be the first time she had to purge one of his worthless worlds, while he was occupied. Slaughtering old friends, and family. Sometimes even killing little versions of herself, who refused to play along. It all blurred together after awhile. She took a certain delight in doing it at this point, in stretching out the moment, in making her opponents well, and truly hopeless.
"Do you wanna know a fun fact?" The woman asked. "That girl over there, well, when she dies, she can 'replay' events." She explained. "And you'd never know. Just...poof, and it all repeats." She snickered. "You'll notice that we're still here. And that, she hasn't. That's because dying to me, has 'special' properties." She shrugged. "Not that you have enough time left, to understand the concept."
Aliza decided to talk.
Aliza examined the woman. "I'm...not scared of you."
"Tsk, tsk. Lying. Such poor behavior." The Non-Human replied, moving to slash down.
Chara cast |Royal Buster|
A wave of purple energy exploded against the woman. Knocking her forward, prompting a turn to face the source. The Purple-Eyed Girl was standing upright, the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Though, she had only a single hitpoint.
The Non-Human attributed this to a variety of possibilities. Aside from the one, it actually was. Then again, she always discarded Bravery. And learned so little about it.
"You should be dead." The woman smiled. "And yet...you're too determined to 'die' aren't you?"
For her part, Chara felt like she knew the source of the power. And glanced to indicate Aliza should, well, move. The orange-eyed girl doing precisely that. As the Non-Human focused on the bat-holder.
Chara decided to defend.
Aliza decided to defend.
Chara cast |Puzzle Cube|
Purple light expanded from Charas soul, enveloping both her, and Aliza. A thin layer of defense. Not that it would help much.
The Non-Human began to move towards her. Clearly curious to see the 'depths' of this revival power. The ground shining, prompting her to halt. Stepping back, as the cube burst.
"Really, Chara?" The Non-Human pondered. "Don't you have any other spells?"
The Non-Human in response leapt up, grasping the edge of the cube. Pulling herself upon it, before diving out with a wide swing. The girl side-stepping it. A follow up slash equally avoided.
Chara decided to defend.
Aliza decided to defend.
Chara cast |Royal Buster|
The light grew, and spread across them. The bat brought to swing, the non-human stepping back, avoiding it as before. Only for a purple light to explode forth. Colliding with the aggressor, at point blank range. Tearing, and searing part of the flesh, as the woman staggered.
The Non-Human laughed. "Oh, so that's how it works. Interesting." She then paused, noticing something for the first time. "Hmm?"
Her form appeared to be taking actual damage. The woman hadn't properly registered it before. Had her connection with the void been cut off? No...that was...impossible. But, regardless of the reason, it was, problematic. If she let it persist, anyways.
Motioning forward, with a series of rapid slashes and attacks. Try and she might, and although she avoided numerous, Chara could not dodge them all. The axe cleaving into her, leaving her to crumble to the ground again. The pained groans, giving way to bloody gurgles.
"This was fun, partner. But, I think we're done here." She smiled some. "It's too bad. I really thought it would be you."
A sudden row of crescent bullets collided with the woman, much to her general surprise. Stepping back, while looking up, only to be rammed into by a giant sized spider bullet. Enough to widen her eyes, before she was sent falling back, rolling to her feet afterward.
Coming from the direction of the entrance to this hall, were a set of individuals. Namely, Muffet, and Heatdrake. The Non-Human stared blankly, before laughing a little.
"Really?" The Non-Human asked, getting back up. "Heh..."
Muffet glanced to Chara, and then to Aliza. She wasn't sure what led to the situation unfolding here. At least in the prospect of two human children being there, but she at least had a sense for why the girl had left in such a hurry. The blades drawn by two arms, the tea-kettle tipped, pouring across the ground behind her back, with another.
Muffet spoke. "You have one opportunity, to back down, and step away from the children."
"If only you knew how non-threatening you were." The Non-Human said, rolling her eyes.
Reasoning with the creature was evidently going to be impossible. Which was fine with the spider. She had no honest intentions of sparing this 'thing' after seeing Chara laying in a pool of her own blood. If the girl was dead...her expression hardened.
The creature lunged out towards them. It was a blur of speed, however...the rush was brought to a grinding halt. The Non-Human stumbling forward, finding her feet were spread across a growing grid. Tightening across her, like a spiders web. The attack, was wasted. Further.
Heatdrake yelled out. "I always knew you were fuckin crazy!"
"Fufufu." Muffet added. "Honestly."
Crescent bullets appeared, arching around the grid. The Non-Human side-stepping those, only to see the spiders materialize at the sides. Rushing towards her. The axe-wielding woman attempted to dodge these, only to find herself cornered, looking furious, as a spider slammed into her. Knocking her against a wall.
Roaring with fury, the woman slashed out, cleaving the next two apart as they approached, before lurching across the divide. Moving to dodge the next series of attacks. Even with Heat-drakes support. Working to avoid being cornered in. The adaptation was quick, alarmingly so.
And once the patterns ended, the Non-Human flashed a wicked smile. Snapping from the webbing for a moment, to slash out at Muffet. The speed of it, bringing the attack near the monsters face. Only for the talons of her companion to grab her arms, and yank her back. Avoiding the series of hits with some extreme effort on the birds part.
Muffet motioned, the grid retaking the Non-Human. She hesitated some. Having to focus to keep the woman rooted. Which was...less than ideal. And put quite a strain on her. Heatdrake attempted to attack while she held the grip. However the non-human easily evaded this pattern of attacks.
"You aren't going to hit me a second time~" The Non-Human noted maliciously.
A grim determination coursed through the creature trying to get out of the grip. Muffet visibly straining to hold onto it. As webs broke, and snapped. The purple soul power beginning to falter. Her energy fading. They had bitten off more than they could chew, clearly.
Muffet noted that she was being forced to keep the Non-Human rooted. But her companions attacks, bluntly, were too predictable and slow on their own. Their foe, it seemed, was rather fast. So it wasn't a question of if they'd lose, rather, a question of how long it'd take. Her focus turning to the children, and to something she noticed out of the corner of her eye.
Aliza was scrambling to find something to help, another rock, anything. Feeling hopeless when faced with unfolding events. She shook, and grew angry. Before noticing something, pushing through one of the broken pipes. The thing that had come out of them earlier.
It was a creepy arm, that extended forth. Holding onto the Non-Humans knife. The clawed hand opening, seeming to beckon her to take it. She could barely make out the terrifying smile of something within. But, what other choice did she have? She didn't have time to think about it, or question the intention.
Aliza snatched the knife, and ran towards her enemy. Who was avoiding another set of attacks. Snapping from some sort of webbing, to slash out. A motion seeing the axe cleave into, and through the bird-monster, who took the hit for the spider-one. Her eyes widening, as he fell to dust.
Summoning every ounce of bravery the girl had, she slashed out with the grim knife. It cleaved into, and tore through the Non-Human. Leaving a wicked slash across the leg, that made her stagger, caught off guard by the action.
The price of underestimating any individual was high. Something the non-human would learn in that moment. Turning, with an awkward shuffle. The damage was...severe. Dark blood dripped to the ground, pouring from the open wound.
"Oh, Aliza." The Non-Human laughed. "You little brat." Swinging the axe out.
Aliza stumbled back, barely avoiding the swing. Which glanced at, and cut through a strand of her hair. A follow up surging out as the girl fell back, fear gripping her.
Muffet moving to respond, to try and tighten the grips again. But finding her energy lacking. The soul power shattering, rather than fading. The webs vanishing, while the weapon neared the girl.
Unseen was the pooling blackness, wrapping around a heart-shaped-object. The body beginning to writhe. The sudden flash of animosity, as the hit was about to land.
The Demon cast |Phantom Hand - Hate|
The space distorted, as the phantom hand erupted out in front of Aliza. Cracking, as it grasped the axe. Stopping the otherwise fatal swing. The non-human growled, puling it back, before slamming down harder, shattering the cracked barrier. Her intended victim however, had gotten up to put some distance between the two.
The sight of the Phantom hand sent rage through the Non-Human. It shouldn't have been there. And she hadn't known that Chara had it. Namely, as the girl shouldn't have had it.
"Doctor?" The Non-Human asked. "How...does she have that?" Her voice dripping with venom, turning to face Chara, as she tried to rise again. "I've lost my patience with you, you defective little demon...just die already."
A giant spider slammed into the Non-Human, coming from the exhausted monster. Catching her while she was distracted. The next one being cleaved in half, as Muffet didn't appear to have the ability to conjure another at that time.
With that attended, the Non-Human twisted and slashed. The first hit dodged, the second connecting. Splashing blood, and ink across the floor. A set of rapid swings cleaving, and tearing, the girl beginning to crumble again.
Aliza attempted to attack.
The girl slashing out with the knife. Only for the non-human to evade it. Her scary eyes locked on the orange eyed girl. Bringing the hilt of the axe down. Smashing the girl to the floor with a slam. Whimpering, and struggling with some desire to get back up.
"Heheheheh." The Non-Human laughed, feeling maddened, and deranged. "No...more interventions-"
A voice filled with anger asked. "What about one more?"
The woman suddenly flashed green, prompting a look of surprise. Before spears began to start firing at her. The first two impaling, being broken, before the Non-Human started to deflect them. Blocking each as they approached afterward. Panting tiredly, bleeding badly, and full of rage, her dark eyes turned to the last warrior seeking to oppose her.
The crimson haired woman examined the Non-Human, looked over the bloodshed, and the chaos. A small Cat-Dog creature on her shoulder. Bearing a smug little grin, as it hopped down. Wearing some sort of backpack, with items in it.
Temmie spoke. "Io'lL go heAlZ."
The Caretaker of the Ruins didn't avert her gaze. "Please do."
Her eyes had fallen on Chara, having witnessed the end of the brutal attack that left the human collapsed. Potentially dead, or in the best case scenario, dying. She had seen Muffet, exhausted, covered in the dust that had been kicked into the air. The particles dancing in the torchlight. At the other human child, who lay whimpering on the ground, struggling to get up.
All of it, had at the source, the creature glaring at her. The spear on her back was drawn. Dozens more manifesting in the space around her.
The final card hit the table.